Having been lucky enough to be chosen to represent Cambrian Tyres at the recent launch of Dunlop’s all new second generation SportSmart tyre, myself, a number of other key dealers from the UK, along with Dominic Clifford, Dunlop’s head of two wheel products in the UK, were whisked off to the south of France, close to their Mireval test circuit.
The program for the day was to have a technical briefing from Patrice Omont, the Director of Motorcycle and Motorsport Tyre Technology, followed by a 300 kilometre road ride across some of France’s spectacular countryside.
The briefing was very technical and exacting, covering how the SportSmart 2 had come to be and the reasoning behind a return to the well-proven JLB (JointLess Belt) technology along with an introduction to the first use of their JLT (JointLess Tread) compounding technology on a road tyre.
All of these technologies along with the use of Multi-Tread compounding on the rear tyre are to improve the overall rider experience, giving smoother handling, increased stability and durability, and delivering progressive grip from upright to the maximum lean angle.
Dunlop claim to have improved steering response by a massive 23% over its predecessor, meaning a much faster turning time. Dry braking distance has been reduced with the revised casing shape providing a much greater foot print, and wet weather performance has been enhanced by the use of a reversed tread pattern in the front tyre’s central area.
Next came the road briefing and I must say that not being the fastest rider in the pack my initial reaction was one of relief at the road test being described as a leisurely trek across country. There were to be three of Dunlop’s test riders with us and we were going to have the opportunity to put the tyres through their paces on a number of different road types: high speed motorways, country A roads, small villages and a run through the gorge under the Millau bridge to try the “flick–flack” as it was described in the briefing.
Well, after the first few kilometres it became apparent that this was to be a very energetic and brisk-paced ride through the Lozere region. We were all riding Suzuki GSR750s, half with the original SportSmart and the others on the new SportSmart 2. I chose a bike with the originals on as I’d never used them before. The ride was a little harsh on the arms with some rough road surface conditions being transmitted through to the bars. The tyre also felt a bit heavy during lower speed turns. Overall though, I was happy with the performance and stability of the SportSmart. After about 80 kilometres and a bout of pins & needles in both hands it was time to change. We continued along the motorway and the first noticeable difference was how the bike steered along a stretch with long sweeping bends that climbed out of the valley; it felt very stable and transitioned easily from side to side. There was also an improvement in high speed stability too.
After the lunch break we left the village of Candas and dropped down into the gorge under the amazing Millau Bridge. This was to give us the chance to see how the tyres would perform through very tight twisting bends (flick-flack). With heavy braking and quick changes of direction the tyres performed exceptionally well, even with everything my nervous riding style threw at them. One other difference, after spending approximately 110+ kilometres on the SportSmart 2, the pins and needles had not reoccurred, suggesting that the shock absorption was better.
For the last section I found myself back on the original SportSmart, which in all fairness is a good tyre, but Dunlop have been true to their word and succeeded in making significant improvements to the second generation tyre. And although we did not have the opportunity to try the tyre at Mireval’s wet handling circuit, I am sure that it will live up to Dunlop’s predictions.
I was very impressed with the new product and would not hesitate in recommending them to anyone looking for a high-performance hypersport tyre.
